We did it! We crossed the Georgia Strait and it was glassy calm.
As we passed Pender Harbour we noticed that the Caper was there and we stopped by to say hello the Barlows. Now we are having lunch at the Back Eddy in Egmont. We won’t have any internet or ability to communicate for at least 4 or 5 days.
It’s sunny and so beautiful here!
Every year when we leave the dock we begin a transition from the pace of our regular lives to the rhythms of sea. It takes a few days and usually some “issues” to focus on why we are here on this journey north.
Friday afternoon as we were leaving the states we were boarded by the US Coast Guard for a safety inspection. This happened to us once before on our very first journey out of the marina on our first boat. The men on the boat were friendly (clearly just learning this procedure) and we went through each item on their check list. It turns out we are very safe and up to code including extra fire extinguishers but, we did not have a written “waste management plan”. That is correct. We did not have a piece of paper on board that explains our plan for our garbage.
We would like it on the record that we always put our garbage in our trash and recycle bins and when we go ashore we transfer this stuff to the big bins on shore. The Captain takes full responsibility for this enterprise. We do not throw our garbage overboard, ever. This is a solemn promise. However, because we did not have it in writing we were “cited” but not fined. We know the Coast Guardsmen didn’t make these rules and they realized this was a silly request. But the bureaucrats that made this rule clearly do not have enough to do and are overpaid.
The Coast Guardsmen left the True Love practicing a moving transfer to their boat while Jim and I both took photos and videos like proud parents. We then headed up to Canadian waters taking our time on a beautiful afternoon. Customs was easy and we headed through the Pender Island channel
to anchor for the night in Port Browning Bay. This was a first for us. It a sweet little bay on just north of Pender Harbour that’s perfect for overnighting with easy anchorage .
We settled in, I made some yummy quesadillas with left over grilled vegetables. We experienced the good food, Sade playing on the Ipod, the sunset and a peaceful end to a successful day.
I always look forward to the cruise up the Southern Gulf Islands. The weather is usually calm and the views beautiful. When we lifted the anchor we had a bit of a problem with water control on the bow of the boat where we use a hose to wash off the mud and seawater on the anchor and its chain as we bring both back up. The bit of a problem was that the handle just came off. So the Captain turned off the water pressure and we proceeded to our next stop with the hope of finding a fix.
Although the sun was bright and warm and the tide was with us we did have a pretty stiff northwest wind. Both Jim and I did our exercises on the stair stepper, sit-ups, push-ups and stretches. We couldn’t get a dockside reservation in Nanaimo so we decided to head to another first stop for us: Silva Bay on the southeast side of Gabriola Island. By the time we got there we had some serious winds. Docking was a real challenge as the gusts increased to over 25 knots. But the Captain did a fantastic job and with help of the people on the dock we got ourselves into our slip and prepared to relax again for the night.
Silva Bay is a charming little place with a wonderful waterfront restaurant, pretty views and nice people. We settled, plugged in the power and then headed to shore to see if we could repair our water faucet. We were directed to Vince. Vince is a sweet, if somewhat rough handyman for the marina. I showed him the faucet top and he proceeded to take it apart using only his box cutter. It really was a thing of beauty. I love this part of being on the True Love. Not the breaking of things of course, but the fixing. It seems that society has in so many ways devalued the everyday problem-solving skills and personal responsibility skills needed in life, especially in a times of crisis. The little things that inevitably break while boating in remote areas hones these skills.
At first we thought we might have to do a “McGuyver Fix” with some plumbers putty and some aluminum foil but the Captain retrieved a small second piece from the True Love that we had left on board. With that Vince was able to put it all back together and viola — it worked again! We tried to give Vince some money but he asked only for our good wishes. We accepted his generous help and plan to “pay it forward.”
With the faucet fixed and our water pressure on, we showered and headed in for a yummy liner at the café. It’s almost impossible to find this kind of sweet little outdoor restaurant in the Seattle area. All the outdoor patios are too big or too busy. I love this part of our trip . . . the sun, the good food, the views, the quiet.
We did some chores at the dock before heading back to the restaurant for some late dessert and sunset. Our plan was to leave at dawn and hopefully catch the typically lower early morning winds to cross the most difficult waters on our trip: the Strait of Georgia.
We woke at 5:30 to a beautiful sunrise 
and leaving the dock was a breeze. As we turned north into the Strait we encountered very strong winds and 3 – 6 ft seas. It wasn’t smooth, but we felt we could make the bouncy 3-hour crossing until we got an alarm and warning lights from our inverter panel. Our inverter changes DC battery power to AC when the generator isn’t running. Now this was new and not something we wanted to deal with in these conditions, which were not fun at all. We turned off all the AC power and turned around and headed back to Silva Bay. Again the strong winds made docking a challenge, but with the help of dock mates we were pack in port. We discovered one of our bedroom portals had leaked from the strong waves and water got on an old phone charging plug which had done a self destruct sequence and ruined the outlet. So, our new rule in crossing open water . . . no plugs in the sockets especially near portals!
After chilling a bit we headed to enjoy the omelet bar on the deck of the restaurant, process our unsuccessful crossing, call our boat guru Ben Rhoades for advice on the next step to repair the outlet and make new plans.
We headed to Nanaimo where we settled, refilled our water, plugged in and headed to our favorite Greek Restaurant where we ate well and drank Ouzo enthusiastically.
Sunday felt like two days, but we were rewarded with a stunning sunset.
Today we did laundry, grocery shopping, purchased our needed supplies to repair the outlet and our water pressure valve.
We are currently enjoying frappuccinos and Starbucks free internet. For dinner we will enjoy leftovers from last nights yummy dinner while we make our final preparations for our Strait of Georgia crossing Tuesday morning. The predictions for wind are lower, but if they aren’t we will adapt and enjoy more of what Nanaimo has to offer.
We’ve decided the melting plug was a sign to unplug from our regular lives and enjoy our vacation. So other than some quick check-ins and writing our blog we are now officially on vacation.
The last week has been a blur while we prepared for our annual jaunt north to Canada on the True Love. Jasmine, David and James made a last-minute trip home to find a house for their mid-August move back to Seattle. They decided last Thursday to fly out on Saturday. With the help of Katherine Ghiglionne, a wonderful friend and very talented Seattle real estate agent, they were able to find the perfect house.
They are now “pending” on a wonderful house in north Seattle and the Captain and First Mate got to enjoy a bonus grandparent fix with Baby James. He is growing so fast and is so interactive now. We can’t wait to have him and his parents back here full time.
Jim and I began our vacation yesterday afternoon by cruising to Poulsbo to enjoy the July 3rd fireworks there in Liberty Bay. Ben and Lisa Slivka joined us on the first leg of our trip from Elliott Bay Marina bringing on board their alacrity and a collection of wonderful wines.
Bathed in sun we all enjoyed the quick jaunt to Poulsbo where we launched the dingy and the kayaks. The Captain piloted the dingy to pick up two more friends, local Poulsbo residents Andrew Coulson and Kay Krewson to join our gathering.
Although we had munched all afternoon on hummus, chips, nuts, truffle cheese and pears, we were still able to enjoy our grilled salmon and vegetables accompanied by the wonderful collection of wines.
With the sunset and darkness came the fireworks.
The pyrotechnics begin with the private fireworks surrounding us from every direction. The Captain decided to test our flares and we all decided that they would be remarkably ineffective in a true emergency given that they only stayed up in the air for about 20 seconds. When we get a chance we need to buy the better flares that use a small parachute to slow their descent.
At 10:22 the Poulsbo display began! While listening to Jazz and enjoying Kay’s cookies we oohed and ahhed throughout the display.
After saying our goodbyes the Captain returned our guests to the nearby shore where Andrew and Kay dashed Ben and Lisa to the Seattle ferry with only seconds to spare.
The Captain and First Mate rallied to bring up the dinghy, clean the dishes and prepare for a dawn departure to ride the tide north to Samish Island where we plan to spend the afternoon and evening with Doug, Julie, Chad, & Dani, as well as our friend Dick Spink, at the Wallace family’s beachfront home there.
While cleaning the dishes we discovered that the hot water tank was not working without running the main engines. We are hoping it is just the fuse.
Happy Independence Day everyone!
The Captain & First Mate of the True Love
A long voyage to Tod Inlet & Butchart Gardens: Definitely Worth it.
We left Nanaimo and went through Dodd Narrows on Monday afternoon. 
It was the busiest we’ve ever seen it because a small sail boat decided to go against the tide south bound and it almost got stuck in the 5 knot, northbound tidal rapid. This created quite a backup, but no real problems.
If you remember from the last posting, our Monday journey began at 6:00 AM on the north end of Lasqueti Island. After finishing our crossing of the Strait of Georgia, we made a quick stop at Nanaimo for supplies, and internet, while waiting for a strong northbound tide to wane. The Captain and the First Mate decided after reviewing the reference texts and the charts to try to make it all the way to Tod Inlet and the seaside entrance to beautiful Butchart Gardens. We knew it would be a long day, but we felt it would be worth it for a relaxing two-days at Tod Inlet.
Stuart Channel, the passageway between the southern Gulf Islands and our destination was very pretty, with several winding passages, more like a river than an inlet, with steep undeveloped ridges on both sides. This eventually opens up to a big open bay (Brentwood Bay) and tiny Butchart Inlet and nearby Tod Inlet.
Score! We were tired when we finally made it to Tod Inlet at 7:00 PM. But it was worth it. We only share this magical find with you, our dear readers of the True Love Adventures, but anchoring in Tod Inlet and then taking the dinghy to Butchart Gardens is such a wonderful experience!
Tod Inlet is magical. It’s very close to a pretty substantial city (Victoria – the capital city of British Columbia), but when you venture into the narrow inlet you feel like you’re in a nature preserve. The inlet does not fit many boats, but 
we found a perfect anchorage and the Captain went out by kayak (Saul’s invention) to complete the stern tie to shore. As the Captain entered his kayak he went for an unexpected swim. That definitely woke him up. But like the trooper he is, he completed the perfect stern tie by kayak even after he was soaked in the 65 degree water.
Settled, we enjoyed a light salmon salad dinner and watched a little Olympics coverage before we collapsed.
Tuesday morning we slept in and woke to warm sunshine. The First Mate did her yoga on the bow 
while the Captain read the Seattle Times and Wall Street Journal on his Kindle. 
We needed phone service for a phone conference the Captain needed to take, so we took the dinghy for lunch to the Brentwood Pub and Resort. Lunch was yummy and the sunshine on the deck was delicious. After the conference call and lunch we headed the dinghy to Butchart Bay and our trip to the gardens.
Now I thought I had visited the gardens 26 years ago, but I have no recollection of them. They are spectacular, so either
It was a perfect day to visit the gardens, sunny and not too hot. We were most enchanted by the sunken gardens both in daylight and at night. Clearly this has got to be the best possible use of a former limestone quarry. Mrs. Butchart had real vision!
I took a ton of pictures with many lenses at the gardens. Here are just a few!
The reference text suggested boaters return at night to see the gardens in the evening with the lights. It also turns out there was a ballet in the amphitheater that night. So we headed back to the True Love for some kayaking and dinner before returning to the gardens for the evening. While we were kayaking we watched a king fisher doing some dramatic fishing channeling the Olympic platform divers. Again we ate a lite dinner and then headed back to Butchart Gardens for our nighttime adventure.
A night visit to Butchart Gardens is a must do! First, the ZarYevka Ballet was quirky and delightful and you sure couldn’t beat the setting. The full moon rose during the show and when it was over we explored the truly enchanting gardens again by the soft glow of a thousand lights. While watching the enchanting water element in the sunken gardens, with its changing color lights and mist, a child came by and exclaimed, “WOW”! with perfect alacrity. Everyone laughed in agreement. From the mouth of babes.
The full moon lit our way as we traveled the short distance back to the True Love for another great night’s sleep. Today we are heading to Victoria to spend two nights. It’s sunny and beautiful once again. That’s two days in a row! It really is amazing how close San Juan Island is to the south end of Vancouver Island and Victoria.
The winds were mostly calm during this part of the voyage but the forecast “late day” winds in The Strait of Juan De Fuca came early. To avoid the spray from the four foot waves, the Captain and the First Mate left the fly bridge to navigate the end of our voyage into Victoria from the security of the lower helm.
The waves were pretty big and the winds blew the surf over the bow, but the True Love handled it like the champion she is. The waters turn calm as soon as you turn into Victoria harbor and we had a wonderful spot at the main dock directly in front of the famous Empress Hotel and close to the Parliament Building.
We spent yesterday walking around Victoria and did a progressive meal through some fun restaurants.
The day ended back at the True Love with a great view of the Parliament Building a lit up and an intense game of scrabble.
We are posting the blog this morning from Willies Café, where we are enjoying a delicious breakfast of omelets, waffles, good coffee and high speed internet.
The scene last night, Sunday: The sea is liquid silver. The sunset is spectacular. A family of seal’s frolics. Eagles settle in for the night. Only two other boats are in view. There are no winds. The temperature is perfect. We’ve just finished our salmon dinner (thank goodness for professional fishermen) and are enjoying the end of a great day on the fly bridge. Michael Franks plays from the stereo quietly in the background along with the sounds of the surf on the island 300 feet off our side. The ¾ moon is rising. Life is good.
We’ve had a wonderful 2 days adventuring to new territory at Gorge Harbor and now anchored on the north side of Lasqueti Island (which is a few miles from the southwest side of Texada Island).
The last couple of days have been wonderful. After spending the morning doing some chores on the boat we left Octopus Island and easily passed Beazley passage and quickly made our way into Gorge Harbor. Gorge Harbor was a lovely protected bay with a fantastic little resort. The entrance has tricky little sand spit entrance, but the Captain navigated it perfectly. After the sand spit you turn through a little “gorge” entrance and into a perfectly protected, circular harbor. The resort has been recently remodeled and expanded. It’s a perfect spot adults as well as for children and grandchildren.
We enjoyed an afternoon of sun and then headed by dinghy for a very nice dinner at the restaurant. Luckily for us there was also entertainment at Gorge Harbor on Saturday night. Judy and Bruce Wing played wonderful guitar music and songs that included mellow covers as well as music written by Judy Wing. Her angelic voice and witty lyrics were wonderful. Judy and Bruce were very special.
We slept in and after breakfast and then headed for a run on Cortes Island. 
It’s a quaint island community, frozen in time. We passed big trees, very few people, a very old little library, and even a little bakery.
When we were done running we took the dinghy out to the sand spit. The tide was low and the water on the sand spit relatively warm. The Captain even went swimming!
The First Mate waded.
Our time in Desolation sound this year comes to an end with the change in the tide. After our swim we returned to the True Love and raised the dingy, brought in the kayaks and headed with the late day tide south towards Texada and Lasqueti Islands. The night before we had reviewed the tides and the schedule and possible late evening anchorages. Taking into account the late sunset, the tides and our travel speed the Captain chose Scottie Bay on the northeast corner of Lasqueti Island. But as we got closer we noticed the little Islands on the north side of Lesqueti Island called the Fegen Islets, and that’s where we anchored. The chart showed possible anchorage there so we decided to check them out and reconnoiter.
The sky is darkening and the seals and birds have settled. We have left the fly bridge (dusk’s mosquitoes had discovered us) and are now listening to Nora Jones while waiting for the sunset to end and the stars to appear.
The anchor held perfectly although it was a bit wavy during the night. We woke to a pretty sunrise. 
The trip to Nanaimo was a bit choppy do to the opposite northerly tide and a 10 knot southerly wind. But we made good time. Currently we are using the Starbucks high speed internet to catch up on mail and postings. I love high speed internet. We’re here for a few hours and then we head south with the tide and continue into the Gulf Islands. Our goal is to reach Victoria by Wednesday night and head back to the USA on Friday.
The Captain and First Mate of the True Love like to plan each day’s voyage around the tides and the winds. Our recent time on the sea has filled us with a sense of connectedness with nature and the waters we are traveling. With are filled with a sense of awe and wonder for the beauty and powers of the waters we are so lucky to travel together each summer. Five more days!
Octopus Islands
Princess Louisa Inlet is rugged and dramatic. The rapids, waterways, eagles and mountains surrounding Dent Island are exciting. The Octopus Islands, in contrast, are calm and peaceful. They are a series of small low islands that make up a British Columbia provincial park just west of the Hole-In-The-Wall tidal rapids. We were unable to come back here last year because we lost our anchor in Bute Inlet and had to “dock-hop” back to Seattle.
With two anchors on board this time, we chose the same spot we used two years ago. We also chose to use our stern anchor instead of a stern tie to keep our boat from spinning with changes in the wind and tides.
We did so much yesterday. Our day began with our pre-dawn contact with a floating tree in Mermaid Bay followed by fishing and napping. Then we headed out for Calm Channel turning down the channel heading to the rapids at “hole-in-the-wall guided by an Osprey. 
We then anchored at our previous spot at the Octopus Islands and went kayaking.
Time for fishing again – this time for salmon. Doug (Jim’s brother) and his employee Shawn at Doug’s Boats and Sports had set us up with everything we needed to fish. So we headed out on the dinghy to waters nearby where we had seen other people fishing. I remembered most of what Shawn had told me about setting up the lures and tying them.
Our test run was successful in the sense that we had a good time and didn’t lose anything or stab ourselves (or each other) with khooks. We did seriously tangle our two lures together. First fishing lesson learned: our dinghy is too small for two fishing poles. And we didn’t catch any fish. Good thing I had defrosted a rack of lamb, which we later ate for dinner (deliciously grilled).
After dinner we took the dinghy out to watch a mellow sunset befitting the peaceful energy of the Octopus Islands. We came back to the True Love and did a little cleaning and vacuuming. I took out some Trader Joe croissants from the freezer to rise overnight.
The Captain got the satellite phone to work and we called Walt to check in. Dick hadn’t been feeling well lately, but Walt said he was doing better and we toasted his improved health.
It was a full and wonderful day and we both slept well and long.
Friday: Day Two in Octopus Islands
We lazily woke to low marine clouds and popped the fluffy croissants into the oven. The Captain/Barista made lattes and combined with some healthy elixirs we had a filling and delicious breakfast. Jim and I are pretty addicted to “Words With Friends” on our i-phones. But, with no internet and no cell service we pulled out the old scrabble board and began a game that we played on and off all day between fishing (no tangles, but also no fish), sunning, reading and kayaking.
Tomorrow we plan to leave after lunch to head for our first-ever navigation through Beazley Passage, a narrow rapids at the south entrance to Okisollo Island. We are heading towards Gorge Harbor for the night – an anchorage recommend to us by Jack and Ruth. This begins our transit south back to Seattle.
We have a week to get home and plan to include our first stop in Victoria (the capital of British Columbia at the south end of Vancouver Island) on Tuesday.
We haven’t used our satellite TV much this trip, but we will watch the opening of the Olympics tonight. During the 2010 Winter Olympics we had a great time visiting Vancouver, BC. Although we aren’t in London for the 2012 Summer Olympics, we will be there is spirit, marveling at the athletes who seek to prove that they are the best in the world at what they do.
We woke at 4:30 this morning to a strange noise. The Captain went to look and a huge fallen tree had entered Mermaid Bay and settled in next to the True Love.
At first, it was caught on our anchor and along the port side of the boat. Well that’s new. It was still too dark to deal with it so we tried going back to bed. The First Mate couldn’t relax so we got up again at first light about 30 minutes later. The shifting tides had already pushed the tree away from the anchor, but it’s root system was now getting tangled in our stern line. No worries (as they often say here in Canada). We untied the stern line and the tree floated away. 
Throughout the encounter, our amazing new anchor and anchor chain remained solidly attached to the bottom of the bay.
The sun was now rising so I thought why not try to fish?
I immediately caught two small rock fish (the first fish I’ve caught since I was a child), but they were too small to eat so we unhooked them and set them free.
By 6:30 AM we had solved the tree problem, caught two fish, and had breakfast. We both feel very accomplished. Today our plan is to cruise from here, through “hole-in-the-wall” (a narrow channel with tidal rapids) to one of our favorite spots from two years ago: Octopus Islands. We expect to hang out there, kayak and enjoy our third day in a row of beautiful, warm, sunny weather.
Yours Very Truly,
The Captain and First Mate of the True Love
P.S. Here are a couple of sunset shots from last night at Dent Island.
Day 12 (July 24, 2012):
Mermaid Bay, Dent Island
Our voyage to Desolation Sound was easy but cloudy. We stopped in Lund for provisions at 5:00 PM and then headed to Tenedas Bay to anchor for the night. Saul did the stern tie from the kayak, which was an innovation. 
Simon and Jim settled in with a beer to watch assuming there would be great entertainment, but Saul smoothly kayaked out and tossed the rope over the Madronna tree on the first try. 
Last night was a hoot! We mixed cocktails and began with a special appetizer we had tried years ago in Key West: dates, wrapped in crispy bacon, pan sautéed on the grill with orange marmalade sauce. Yum! They didn’t last long, but a delicious dinner of steak, pot stickers, and fresh salad with radishes, avocado and mango followed.
We continued to share libations while playing bridge. Jim and Saul against Simon and me. Simon hadn’t played bridge in a while, but he hadn’t lost a step. Simon and I entered the last hand of the night 1200 points ahead. Saul and Jim had to win a slam doubled to beat us. For you bridge players out there, Jim bid 1 heart. Saul had 6 hearts in his hand. He bid 6 hearts. I doubled and they made 7! It was spectacular! If Simon and I had to lose that was a fun way to do it.
We slept in and set out this morning for a tour of Desolation Sound and beyond. The clouds were higher in the sky when we woke up this morning and we made bets on the time for the sun’s appearance. The times varied considerably between 1:30 and 4:00.
This was “communication dysfunction day” for the Captain and First Mate. The Captain had a “particular place in mind” and the First Mate wanted downtime near the Kenmore Plane pick-up point at Dent Island on Wednesday. We both thought the other had agreed to the each other’s plans.
Saul commented that although Jim and I have a remarkable ability to communicate and work together closely in bliss most of the time, when we don’t it’s like two currents rushing past each other at top speed creating whirlpools of unpredictable energy, like the eddy’s in the rapids we were navigating today. So true!
But like the rapids in the always-changing tidal currents, the water’s calmed and we (with the help of some decisive intervention from Simon and Saul) ended up in Mermaid Bay on the west side of Dent Island. The clouds cleared, bathing us with the much-needed warmth of the sun at 4:00. We were safely anchored (including another shore tie) in a magical place resting on the bow of the True Love, listening to the rapids and watching the eagles in the sun.
Saul deployed the crab pot again, this time using chicken for bait. The First Mate made our first small plate of capresse and we sunned on the bow like seals warming on a big rock. Simon used the extra clams we saved from the previous night to make our second small plate, a delicious clam pasta dish.
The men are now out on another dinghy adventure, exploring the area, possibly stopping by the bar at the Sonoma Island Resort while the First Mate enjoys some alone time.
Tomorrow we should have a quiet morning where we don’t have to move anywhere before we drop Saul and Simon off at the seaplane just a few minutes by tender from where we are anchored.
Day 13: July 25, 2012
Simon and Saul Fly Home
The men returned right before dark. They saw over 20 eagles at sunset on a small island nearby and then attempted to get a drink at the Sonoma Island Resort. The bar tender was horrified that they weren’t guests. People cannot just boat up and enjoy the facilities. Guests only. First they were given a tour and then they were escorted from the premises.
After the men returned, we enjoyed some more bridge and scotch. Saul and the First Mate were partners this time against Simon and the Captain. What can I say? I had great cards and Saul and I were victorious.
Before going to bed we went out to look at the stars. Saul said he had forgotten how many stars were in the sky. The Milky Way was bright and clear.
This morning we slept in and woke to warm sunshine. What a change! Around 11:30 we headed over to Dent Island. 
Everyone agreed that although Dent Island didn’t have all the fancy facilities (the indoor tennis court, the heated pool, the game room with 3 video golf screens, etc.) its simple elegance was far superior. We enjoyed a scrumptious lunch while we awaited their flying chariot. Not a bad way to travel.
We all had a wonderful time together. It was the Captain and First Mate’s great pleasure to share some the beauty and magic of this beautiful area with our son and one of our best friends.
The Captain and I did some eagle photography this afternoon, 
sunbathed on the bow and napped. Tonight we went back to Dent Island to share a lovely dinner together. We have enjoyed all of our guests but are looking forward to the next week alone on the True Love.
Yours Very Truly,
The Captain and the First Mate of the True Love
WEDNESDAY (July 18, 2012)
Jack and Ruth Halsell aboard.
Our Wednesday morning in Pender Harbor was uneventful. We slept in, had a good run, did some housekeeping, and checked the crab pot (no crabs).
The clouds cleared and the sun came out just as we were heading to pick up our good friends Jack and Ruth at the fuel dock when their seaplane arrived from Seattle. Their flight came in a bit early, but Jack called us using his portable VHF radio and we were dockside five minutes later. With our guests aboard we headed for Egmont, the last bit of civilization on the way to Princess Louisa Inlet. 
We began with some snacks and champagne and headed up Agamemnon channel. It was an easy trip, with a favorable tide, a favorable wind and lots of warm sunshine. We arrived to a crowded dock, but luckily the first mate had called ahead for reservations and the last spot on the dock was awaiting us.
After docking we headed to shore for some dinner on the deck of the waterside pub. A good time was had by all as we shared some beer, yummy fresh shrimp, steak and salad. 
After dinner we chatted on the boat as we watched the sky explode once again into a beautiful sunset.
THURSDAY (July 19, 2012)
Thursday morning, the first mate mixed up some “Julie elixirs” in preparation for our walk to the local bakery, 
The Greer Rosette, in the woods along the “Skookumchuck Trail” from Egmont to the Skookumchuck Rapids. This was a hidden treasure that even our seasoned guests had never discovered. We stocked up on cinnamon rolls, muffins, and other treats. But, before heading back we first took time to enjoy some delicious goodies on the deck of the bakery overlooking a little stream.
Our timing was perfect. When we arrived back at the True Love the tides had changed in our favor and it was time to leave Egmont and head to Princess Louise Inlet. The sun was out early Thursday and we were ready to enjoy a spectacular day. Although Jack and Ruth had been up here many times, and this was our fourth trip in four years, the unusual and stunning passage up the fjord named Jarvis Inlet never gets old. 
With the wind and the tide at our backs, conditions were perfect for the first mate to do her yoga on the bow of the True Love and the voyage took only about four hours. We made it through Malibu Rapids with no problems although the first mate lost her hat as the Captain sped up to navigate through the tidal entrance to Princess Louisa Inlet.
Although there were fewer than 20 boats in the inlet (which is about 4 miles long by 1-2 miles wide), one of the boats was in our favorite anchorage at the bottom of tall waterfall. So it took the first mate a few minutes to find another perfect anchorage near another waterfall that still had just the right view of Chatterbox Falls and waterfall sound.
The waters of Princess Louisa Inlet are very deep, too deep to anchor in the normal way. Even though we have 300 feet of anchor chain, our anchor can only touch the seafloor if we drop the anchor and then back up to within 30 feet of shore. The Captain then must use the dinghy to go to shore, put a rope around a tree, and bring it back to our boat so that it’s held in place between the anchor and the shore.
So we dropped the anchor and deployed the dingy so that the Captain could set the stern tie. Unfortunately, the tide was out and the target tree for stern tie rope was a bit high. The Captain returned for an assist from Jack, who used the dinghy’s engine to keep the dinghy from floating away from the steep shoreline while the Captain repeatedly attempted to throw the rope around the tree. 
Working together, the Captain and Jack successfully secured the stern tie to shore and brought it back to the boat. Because the tide had moved the boat during this whole exercise, we had to use the main engines briefly to reposition the anchor, but, after a little maneuvering we were firmly and safely set in a truly magical spot.
The waterfalls falling into Princess Louisa Inlet are very strong this year. Chatterbox Falls is full and roaring. The air temperature was very warm although the water temperature was still only 69 degrees. We enjoyed the rest of the day and evening, drank wine, shared stories and played bridge.
Around 7:30 PM, we paused our bridge game for a yummy salad with spring greens, chicken, raspberries, blueberries and avocado. On the side I cooked up some Chinese dumplings and we ended our meal with molten chocolate cakes and homemade espresso chip ice cream.
The sun set and so did all our energy. We hoped to stay up and look at the stars, but it just gets dark too late in the summer! Before collapsing into bed we did see the Big Dipper appear along with the north star and two of the brightest planets (our guess is Venus and Jupiter).
FRIDAY (July 20, 2012)
Friday morning brought light rain around 5 AM. Later that morning we took advantage of a break in the drizzle to visit the single dock at the head of the inlet walk to Chatterbox Falls. This is by far the largest waterfall in the inlet, and although you can hear it roar from miles away, it’s hard to comprehend how powerful the falls are until you are standing next to them.
The rendezvous time (1:45 PM) with Jack and Ruth’s outbound seaplane was approaching, but we expected a weather delay because the drizzle had turned to a hard, steady rain and visibility was poor. We tried to use the satellite phone to call Kenmore Air, but of course it didn’t work. After noshing on some capresse for lunch the Captain used the dinghy to take Jack and Ruth the four miles through the driving rain to Malibu Camp at the entrance to the inlet so that they could use the satellite phone there to call Kenmore Air and let their adult children know that their return flight would be delayed by hours or days.
I just received a report from the Captain through the VHF. It is currently 3:30 PM and the plane is supposedly “on the way.” The First Mate awaits her soggy guests, turns on the generator so she can put their clothes in the dryer when they return while we wait for the seaplane. But then there is an update from the Captain, Kenmore Air now says the weather will not allow the seaplane to fly into Princess Louisa Inlet until tomorrow “at the earliest.” Two more for dinner tonight! The dinghy and its passengers return to the True Love but they are drenched and dripping wet. But all was well again after they changed into dry clothes and drank some spiked tea and hot chocolate.
The heavy rain continued into the late afternoon and evening, causing the waterfalls of Princess Louisa Inlet to all grow spectacularly. Too tired to play bridge, we watched some DVD movies. Jack and Ruth had never seen most of the romantic comedies we had on the boat so we started the entertainment with ”Saving Grace” and ended the evening with “When Harry Met Sally.”
SATURDAY (July 21, 2012)
The weather was a lot better on Saturday morning. It didn’t rain at all until 11 AM and after that there were only occasional brief light showers for most of the day. So after breakfast, Jack and Ruth took the dinghy back to Malibu Camp and borrowed their satellite phone again. They got through to Kenmore Air and were promised that a seaplane would pick them up either that day at 5:45 PM, or the next day (Sunday) when Kenmore Air was already scheduled to fly into Princess Louisa to drop of Simon and Saul.
So we all proceeded to enjoy another day in beautiful Princess Louisa Inlet. The captain and first mate went for a long kayak and we were treated to a close encounter with an eagle fighting with a seagull. The eagle was approaching the seagull nesting area but was met by a vigilant and aggressive patrol. The eagle took refuge in a tree but the seagulls repeatedly swooped down on him until he finally took refuge deeper in the forest. It was great fun to watch and listen to the eagle and seagulls squawk at each other.
Jack and Ruth took the tender out again for some exploring and we met them on our way back. On our kayak we saw a “For Sale” sign for 1782 acres of land in Princess Louisa Inlet, including 4.5 kilometers of oceanfront. Amazingly, only about 10% of Princess Louisa Inlet is a Canadian Marine Park. The rest is privately held and although the land would be exceptionally difficult to develop because of all the steep slopes, cliffs, waterfalls and landslides, we all decided that if any of us ever win the lottery, we are going to buy this land and donate it to the Princess Louisa Society so that a hundred years from now, this beautiful inlet will still look as pristine as it does today.
It rained lightly off and on all day but the cloud ceiling looked high enough for flying so we were all hopeful that Jack and Ruth would be able to fly out at 5:45 PM.
Jack & Ruth toured the engine room together to look at all the equipment there, especially the watermaker. The engine room received the highly coveted Jack & Ruth seal of approval with just a few tips for future improvements. Then we decided to play some bridge. I think Jack was more annoyed about having to go back to Malibu Camp and beg for to use their phone service than he was about staying one more night. Of course if our satellite phone worked that would not have been necessary, you already know the story there!
A private seaplane flew in around five which raised everyone’s spirits again, but almost immediately after the rain picked up, thick clouds started to form and the private seaplane left after a very short visit. Lowering spirits. Around 5:45 PM Jack spotted lights in the distance. Our seaplane was here!
We said our goodbyes and the Captain took Jack & Ruth in the dinghy to meet up with the seaplane. We truly loved our time with Jack & Ruth. They are amazing people and we aspire to be such great adventurers when we are in our 80’s.
We especially thank them for helping us analyze the survey (detailed mechanical inspection and appraisal) of the first True Love and strongly encouraging us to visit Princess Louisa Inlet four years ago.
SUNDAY (July 22, 2012)
The “sunshine coast of British Columbia” is NOT living up to it’s name. We slept in and woke to another rainstorm. While the Captain made lattes and the First Mate made challah french toast, we both wondered whether Saul and Simon’s seaplane would be able to get through. If not, our “plan B” was to leave Princess Louisa today and hopefully meet up with Saul and Simon somewhere closer to civilization.
As the rain and heavy mist continued throughout the morning, we assumed that Saul and Simon’s seaplane would not be able to make it in. So we relaxed while slowly enjoying our delicious breakfast. I added to my blog and then gave it to the Captain for final proofreading. Then all of a sudden we noticed that a seaplane was taking off. We were so absorbed in our other tasks that we didn’t see it arrive – right on time at noon. We weren’t able to contact anyone on the VHF so we quickly started up the dinghy and the Captain went to pick up our next guests.
Saul and Simon were so lucky. Within an hour of their arrival another storm set in and it was rainy and misty for most of the rest of the day. Fortunately, there were a few short breaks in the weather so were able to take the dinghy out explore Chatterbox Falls and rest of the inlet. All of the rain made the 30+ waterfalls of Princess Louisa Inlet run even stronger giving the inlet a look similar to the mystical elf village named Rivendale in the movie “Lord of the Rings.”
MONDAY (July 23, 2012)
Unfortunately, we woke to mist and rain again. Saul slept through most of our preparations to leave, but with Simon on board we had all of the help we needed to retrieve and stow the two kayaks and the dinghy. As we approached Malibu Rapids at the entrance to the inlet, we say two big juvenile eagles – they were as big as adult bald eagles but lacked their heads and tails were still brown, not white. We now are heading out of Jervis inlet, driving the boat from the lower (interior) helm, where we are warm and dry, drinking tea and hot chocolate. Our next stop is Lund, the last town with a grocery store before Desolation Sound. At Lund we plan to buy some groceries and hopefully access the internet so that I can post this blog. Our goal is to reach an anchorage in Desolation Sound by 7PM tonight, so we have plenty of time to anchor and make sure all is well before sunset (at 9:05 PM).
Yours very Truly,
The Captain and First Mate of the True Love
Hello friends and family!
It’s been a busy couple of days. After an incredibly cold, dark and rainy evening Sunday night, we awoke Monday in Poet’s Cove (Bedwell Harbour) to bright sunshine and began our journey through one of our favorite places, the Southern Gulf Islands of British Columbia.
As we headed through the canal connecting the north and south halves of Pender Island, we remembered that we should have checked the tides and the reference texts first. It was very shallow. As it turns out, a 2 foot low tide is our lower limit for going through that passage. Fortunately, the low tide that morning was a foot deeper that that. Lest we forget, the issue is now noted on our charts. The inside passage from Poets Cove to Nanaimo is calm, open and beautiful. Compared to the rainy windy day before, it was like leaving Kansas in black and white and entering the spectacularly colorful Oz.
The rapids at the Dodd Narrows was fun!
We both did our exercise and the first mate got to do her yoga on the bow in the beautiful, warm sunshine!
Entering Nanaimo this year was a bit anticlimactic. Last year we pulled into the harbor with Mark and Nancy Beach aboard and we were met with fireworks. I guess they didn’t get the memo this year about our ETA. We chose to anchor and deploy the dinghy to go into town for some errands. So began the frustrating part of our day; the time when we have to ask ourselves if the True Love (aka our floating rockstar RV) has too much technology: specifically, our verizon “myfi” (personal wi-fi internet connection) and the satellite phone.
So we took the dinghy into shore and took a walk to find a marine equipment store and the closest Starbucks (for internet). After a call to Verizon support and a switch to Canadian protocol we were up and running. Unfortunately, the marine store did not have the 50/30 amp plug adapter or the little screw driver we were looking for. That can be solved later. We did provision with fresh fruit and, of course, Nanaimo bars purchased in Nanaimo!
After delivering our supplies back to the boat and showering we headed out to our favorite Greek restaurant where we had a usually delicious meal! We didn’t have room for dessert, so we took two servings of ek-mek back to the boat (ek-mek is a yummy Greek custard dessert).
Yesterday we woke ready to tackle the sat phone. The first satellite phone companies spent billions launching their networks of satellites and then went bankrupt because too few people wanted to use sat phones. Now we know why — sat phone technology is 30 years behind cell phone technology. Yes you can get phone service anywhere, but not anytime. In fact, the only time you can make or receive a sat phone call is during the 5-15 minute interval when a satellite has risen over the horizon (don’t ask which horizon) and before it sets over the opposite horizon. In other words, you spend a LOT of time waiting for service and even when you are able to make a call, the sat phone loses service within a few minutes. After several calls (using a cell phone) to technical support and some funky positioning of the sat phone we were able to make it work, once, briefly. Hopefully, if we have an emergency in a remote location, we’ll be able to make it work again.
The winds were mostly calm yesterday during our crossing of the Georgia Strait, between Vancouver Island and the BC mainland. Unfortunately Canadian naval exercises were underway in the “Whiskey-Gulf” training area so we couldn’t take the fastest route. Not a real problem, though, as it was sunny and beautiful. Enjoying he journey is what boating is about. During the crossing Walt texted Jim to let us know that our AIS position was not working so Captain Jim took care of that little technical problem. Guess what? There is an App for that! Seriously. Problem fixed. You can now find us on the web site if you are so inclined, but only when we have wi-fi, so expect us to “disappear” from AIS tracking when we’re in Princess Louisa Inlet on Thursday-Sunday.
We arrived in Pender Harbour around 2, anchored pretty easily and launched the dinghy. The first mate noticed that the winch that launches and retrieves the dinghy wasn’t working quite correctly because the cable wasn’t spooling properly. For those familiar with sewing, it looked like a bad bobbin. So we spent some time fixing that little issue. After that, it was time to get our crabbing and fishing license and deploy the crab pot. This is something the first mate and head chef was very excited about. The Captain was less excited. But he likes to make the First Mate happy so we got our bait and headed just outside Pender Harbour to deploy the crab pot. Just as we selected our spot an eagle majestically flew very near us, swopped down next to the water and caught a fish in its talons. We like to think it was Mike Marshall’s eagle that watched us fish last year letting us know we picked a good spot.
On our way back to the True Love we stopped at the Painted Boat Resort for a cocktail and some yummy appetizers. Julie: they made this great stuff to serve crab that combined spinach and peanuts blended and molded and made into a jello to form a rectangle. Really very yummy, especially with the crab and so interesting to look at. We need to try it! We came back to the True Love for another lovely sunset. Stopping to watch the sunset quietly floating on the water is one of the magical parts of boating.
After we finish breakfast this morning and our blog we are going to head out to shore for a run and then we will check our crab pot. Our friends Jack and Ruth Halsell fly in to visit us this afternoon for a fun trip up to Princess Louisa Inlet. We can’t wait to have them aboard for some bridge and great adventure! After Jack and Ruth visit we will be joined by Simon James and Saul! They will join us for the trip out of Princess Louisa Inlet to Desolation Sound on Sunday and Monday
We will be back on line Monday. Although we may give you a quick crab pot update this afternoon!
We also want to wish the First Mate’s parents Sheila and George a Happy belated Anniversary!
Yours very truly,
The Captain and the First Mate of the True Love
True Love Adventures 